Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar speaks with patients in one of hospitals on Saturday 30 March, 2024. Photo courtesy of Ministry of Health.
The new PICU is located at Al-Qanater Al-Khairiya Central Hospital in Qaliyoubia governorate.
The step is part of the government's efforts to enhance the capabilities of the medical sector and improve healthcare services for the population, according to a statement by the health ministry.
The unit was established in collaboration with private sector company Nestlé and NGO Truss Misr Foundation, the ministry said.
The new unit aims to provide critical healthcare services, particularly for Palestinian children injured during the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The unit is also capable of receiving cases from across Egypt that require advanced medical care.
The unit is part of the Our Children are Life initiative, launched by Nestlé in collaboration with the Truss Misr Foundation, which aims to treat 1,000 children injured in Gaza.
The initiative supports the efforts of the health ministry to provide comprehensive medical care, including therapeutic services, medications, surgical supplies, and ambulances for transporting critical cases to Egyptian hospitals.
As part of the initiative, 28 infants were air-evacuated and are currently receiving the necessary care in Egyptian hospitals.
More than 440 children have received treatment through this initiative so far.
Egypt has been receiving injured individuals and cancer patients from Gaza since November 2023, as unrelenting Israeli strikes and restrictions on fuel entry have put most of Gaza hospitals out of service.
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